History of the Catholic Church from 600 to 1600, Title page – List of biblical texts
HISTORY Of the CATHOLICK CHURCH, From the Year 600 untill the Year 1600.
Shewing Her DEFORMATION And REFORMATION.
Together with The RISE, REIGN, RAGE, and BEGIN-FALL Of the ROMAN ANTICHRIST.
With many other profitable Inſtructions. Gathered out of divers WRITERS of the ſeveral times, and other HISTORIES, BY ALEXANDER PETRIE, Miniſter of the Scots Congregation at Rotterdam.
Pſalm III.
What we have heard and known, and our Fathers have told us, we will not hide them from their Children: shewing unto the Generation to come, the praiſe of the Lord, and his ſtrength, and his wonderfull Works that he hath done.
Cyprian de zelo & livore:
Evill shall be eſchued the more readily, if the beginning and greatneſs of it be known.
Origen contra Celſum, Lib. 3.
As he is deemed to have made progreſs in Philoſophy, who being acquainted with the diſputes of different opinions, hath choſen the beſt reaſons among them: So I am bold to ſay, that he is the wiſeſt among Chriſtians, who hath moſt diligently conſidered the ſeveral Sects of Jews and Chriſtians.
HAGUE: Printed by ADRIAN VLACK. M. DC. LXII.
HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE
TO HIS HIGHNES WILLIAM THE III, By the Grace of God PRINCE of ORANGE, Count of Naſſaw, Catzenelbogen, Vianden, Dietz, Lingen, Moeurs, Bueren, Leerdam, &c. Marqueſs of ter Vere and Vliſſingen; Lord and Baron of Breda; of the City of the Grave and Land of Kuyck, Dieſt, Grimbergen, Herſtall, Kranendonck, Warneſton, Arlay, Noſeroy, S. Vijt, Doesbourg, Polanen, Willemſtadt, Niewart, Yſſelſtein, S. Martenſdijck, Geertruydenberg, Chaſteau-regnard, the High and Lower Swaluw, Naeldwijck, &c. Vicount Hereditary of Antwerp and Beſançon, &c. Marshal Hereditary of Holland, &c.
I Will honour them that honour me, ſaith the LORD. But who can tell what shall be done unto them whom the Lord will honour? Certainly, thoſe do honour him, who ſerve him religiouſly. They who are careleſs of Religion, do pretend that they cannot ſerve God, becauſe there be ſo many Religions, and they cannot know which is the right. But if they were unfeignedly deſirous to know, they might be reſolved; ſince our Lord, who is gracious, mercifull, and abundant in goodneſs and truth, leaves us not in the miſt or unto uncertainties; but at ſeveral times, and in divers waies, hath ſpoken unto the Fathers by the Prophets; and in the laſt daies hath ſpoken unto us by his Son, and hath commanded all men to hear Him: He is the Way, the Verity and the Life; none comes unto the Father but by Him. On which words Chryſoſtom writes thus; It is as if our Saviour had ſaid, I am the Way; that is, By me ye shall come: The Verity, becauſe aſſuredly thoſe things shall be which I have promiſed; neither is any lie in me: And the Life, becauſe Death cannot hinder you from me: And ſince I am the Way, ye need not another Guide: Since I am Truth, I ſpeak no falſe thing: Since I am Life, although ye shall die, ye shall injoy what I have promiſed. And Cyrill. Alexandr. on the ſame words ſaith; By three things we shall come into theſe Heavenly manſions; by the action of true verity, by right faith, and the hope of eternal life: of all which, none is the giver, none is the fountain, nor is any the cauſe, but our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; for he hath given commandments above the Law; he hath shewed us the Way: And he is alſo the Truth; that is, the true ſtreightneſs and determination, the uprighteſt rule, and the beſt ſquare of faith: And he is alſo the Life; for none but he can reſtore unto us that life, which we hope shall be in holineſs and bleſſedneſs without perishing: He certainly shall raiſe us up, though we die, from that curſe for ſin, and bring us into Heaven; therefore all excellent things come, and shall be unto us, through him. But thoſe Worldlings ſay, The Word of Chriſt is large, and ſo many things are in it, that we cannot ſearch them. Nevertheleſs He directs all men to ſearch the Scriptures; and the Evangeliſt teacheth, that thoſe are written that we might beleeve that Jeſus is the Chriſt, the Son of God; and that beleeving, we might have life through his name. Yea in that written Word he hath certain rules and notes, whereby the true Religion may be known. Certainly, that is the moſt true Religion, which aſcribes moſt glory unto God, and moſt tranſcends the natural reaſon of men, and moſt elevates the hearts and affections of men towards God and Heaven. By application of thoſe undoubted and unqueſtionable principles, each one may underſtand, that among all Religions the Reformed is the only true Religion; for not only our Profeſſion in the general, but all the branches of our Doctrine, are grounded on God's written Word; and tend unto God's glory, tranſcend our natural reaſon, and lead men to think continually of God, and to hope for bleſſedneſs in Heaven by Chriſt alone. And amongſt thoſe who profeſs this Religion, they are moſt devoted unto God, and moſt conſtant in their profeſſion; who aim moſt at God's glory; who are moſt acted by ſupernatural principles; who do moſt think of God, and whoſe hope of felicity in Heaven is moſt active: And ſuch as ſeek but their own or other mens intereſts, or be led by political or human reaſons mainly, are the wavering Profeſſors. On the other ſide, all other Religions, though they pretend the glory of God, they are not truly grounded on God's Word; but are underpropped with natural reaſon, and tend to earthly mindedneſs; as appears by induction of the particulars wherein they differ from us; ſome aiming at the advancement of mens abilities, and others at worldly honour and gain. This is clear in the Romish Religion; for what elſe is the advancing of man's ability without or with a little help of God? their Juſtification by works? their Deifying of the Pope above all that is called God? their equalling of Mens Traditions and Decrees with the Sacred Scriptures? What elſe is their Maſs, their fancy of Purgatory, &c? Here it is remarkable what is written by their Jeſuit Cardinal Bellarmin, de Indulg. Lib. 1. Cap. 12. Sect. Rationes; We ſee (ſaith he) that the ampleſt Indulgences are given for a very ſlight cauſe; as, when plenary Indulgence is given unto all who ſtand before the Door of St. Peter's Church, and the Pope bleſſeth all the people ſolemnly. And Sect. Obſervandum, he ſaith, That ſtanding before St. Peter's Porch is a very light and ſlight cauſe, if it be conſidered abſolutely in it ſelf; and nevertheleſs it is a weighty and juſt cauſe, becauſe that frequency of the people, at that time, is a fit and uſefull means of proteſting their Faith concerning the Head of the Church, and it ſerves for the honour of the Apoſtolical See; which [honour] is the end of that Indulgence. So he. The Pope then and the People do aid one another mutually; for the People confirms the Supremacy of the Pope by their preſence, and receiving that Indulgence; and He, by diſpenſing his Indulgence ſo liberally, confirms the People in their Superſtition and Pharaſaical opinion of Works. But what is there for the glory of God or promoting Piety? They are wont to object ſeveral pretences of their Religion, which may be reduced into ten. 1. The ſtatelineſs of their Churches, in compariſon of the emptineſs and baſeneſs of others. 2. Their Unnion and Harmony when others fall into Shivers. 3. Their Antiquity, and others are but of Yeſterday. 4. They preſs us to acknowledge, that the Church of Rome was once true: And then they infer; therefore they are the true Church as yet, ſince the true Church cannot perish, nor be changed in the Eſſentials. 5. They call for the time, place and perſons, when, where, and by whom the change came. 6. Where did our Church lurk ſo long? 7. The Authours of the Reformation had no Commiſſion to attempt it. 8. They vaunt of their ſucceſſion without interruption. 9. They glory of the ſubſtance of Religion, which cannot be deemed to be ſtill with them. 10. They bewitch the people with ambitious oſtentation of innumerable Friers; who, amongſt them, have renounced the World, that they may attain Eternal Life. All theſe pretences are clearly refuted by Io. Calvin. Lib. de Scandalis; and after him by Io. Cameron, Lib. de Rom. Eccleſiae praejudiciis, in a direct and dogmatical way; but they are (as it were) ſenſibly demonſtrated to be but idle words, by Hiſtories, where we ſee them all confuted; not only by ſuch as did ſeparate or were caſt out of the Roman Church; but even by ſuch as lived and died in it, without any ſeparation, except in judgement. The Papiſts cannot deny, but plainly confeſs, that their Church was corrupt, both in the pretended Head and Members, in reſpect of Manners, ſo that a Reformation was neceſſary; but they deny the corruption in Faith or Doctrine: And they ſay, Though the Popes were wicked men, yet they wanted not their power of Juriſdiction, and of diſpenſing the ſacred Myſteries. Unto the firſt part the Apoſtle ſaith; When ſome have put away a good Conſcience, they make shipwrack concerning the Faith. On theſe words Chryſoſtom ſaith; That is truly ſaid; for where the Life is rebukable, ſuch Doctrine muſt needs follow; and ſo ye may ſee very many to have fallen into the Pit of Miſeries, and to have returned into Heathenish Rites; for leſt they be tormented with the fear of evils to come, they indeavour every way to perſwade themſelves, that all things are falſe which our Religion teaches; and ſo they turn from the Faith. Accordingly the Hiſtories shew, that ſome Popes have denied the Immortality of the Soul, and have called the Goſpel of Chriſt, a Fable. As for the Pope's Juriſdiction, it was not ſo from the beginning as it is now, neither Eccleſiaſtical nor Civil; for other Bishops had power, within their own Diocies, without dependance upon the See of Rome; as the Bishops of Millan, of Ravenna and others, in Italy; and the Bishops of other Nations: And Pope Gregory the I. (as others before him) did acknowledge the Emperour as his Lord, and himſelf his Servant; afterwards the Pope did ſalute the Emperour as his Son; and by degrees they made the Emperours their Vaſſals, Servants and Lacqueys: So that if Peter and Paul were alive on Earth, they would certainly deny the Popes to be their Succeſſours; becauſe they differ (beſides many other Articles of the Faith) ſo far in the point of ſubjection; or rather, exalting themſelves above all that is called God; yea certainly, they would call the Pope the Antichriſt, according to what they have written in 2 Theſſ. 2. and 2 Pet. 2. The Romaniſts ſay, That in this point they have advantage againſt us; becauſe the Antients have written, that Antichriſt muſt be one Perſon, of the Tribe of Dan, ſit in Jeruſalem, &c. Truly it is no marvel, that in the primitive times the moſt learned were miſtaken (I except the Apoſtles) concerning the Antichriſt; ſince the prophecies could not be throughly underſtood, before they were in ſome good meaſure accomplished. But if we inquire the judgement of the learned and prudent men, in the middle times, concerning the Antichriſt, and generally of the corruption of the Church, we may receive more ſure information; and certainly thoſe are the beſt Witneſſes of what was done in their daies. A good number of their Teſtimonies, in all ranks, I have compiled, for this end, in this Book, which is humbly preſented unto Your HIGHNES; firſt truſting that under Your Patronage others may the more willingly look upon it, and be informed in the Truth; and then, with confidence, it shall be graciouſly accepted; becauſe Saepè Tibi Deus hic, ſaepe legentur Avi; with the ſame travel of reading in Your tender years, Your HIGHNES may learn, both the condition of God's Church in former times, and the lives of Your Glorious Anceſtours, Emperours and Kings, of whom You have Your Illuſtrious Deſcent; and ſo from them You may know how to ſerve God, and how to deport Your Self in all the daies of Your Pilgrimage, that You may be glorious in Heaven, and the following Ages may have Your example, outvying and outſtripping (if poſſible) all the Williams, Charlſes, Henries, Jameſes, Adolphs and others in Chriſtian Prudence, Righteouſneſs, Proweſs and Temperance. So prayeth
Your HIGHNESSES Moſt humble And obedient ServantALEX. PETRIE.
THE FIRST TABLE.
Shewing ſome Texts of Scripture that are now controverted, and how they were expounded in former times.
For underſtanding theſe Tables, it is to be noted, that becauſe the Book is divided into two parts, in reſpect of numbring the pages; therefore in the Tables the letterS ſignifieth the ſecond part, and the number following directs unto the ſecond part; and where S is not, the number directs unto the firſt part. Likewiſe, as if every page were divided into three parts; the letter b pointeth at the beginning or firſt part of the page; the letter m at the middle or ſecond part or thereby; and the letter e at the end or third part. In this firſt Table the letter p ſtands between the numbers of the verſe and of the page.
Psal,
LI, 17. p. 100.
LXII. 12. p. 27. e
CXX. 3. p. 102. m
Zach.
XI. 17. p. 473. e
Matth.
XII. 46. p. 212. e
XVI. 18. p. 97. m,
& 157. m,
& 172. e,
& 211. m,
& 212. e,
& 293. e,
& 244. e,
& 317. e,
& 331. m,
& 435. e,
& 488. b.
& 576. m,
& S. 291. e,
XVI. 19. p. 213. b
& 543. e
XXIII. 37. p. 370. m
XXIV. 24. p. 28. e
XXVI. 39. p. 349. m
Luk.
I. 28. 35. p. 174. m
XVI. 31. p. 213. m
XXII. 19. p. 98. e
31. p. 475. b
32. p. 543. e
38. p. 347. m
Joh.
I. 16. p. 27. e
17. p. 213. m
III. 13. p. 213. e
& 223. m
S. 306. m
VI. 35. p. 214. b
53. p. 102. m
55, 56. p. 175. m
63. p. 214. m
X. 1, 2, 3. p. 214. m
& 223. e
10 & 28. p. 175. m
XIV. 27. p. 339. m.
XV. 6. p. 96. e
16. p. 98. m
XX. 23. p. 333. m
268. m
Rom.
III. 27. p. 215. m
V. 12. p. 171, b
VI. 23. p. 215. m
VIII. 30, 31. p. 98. m
IX. 15. 18. p. 171. & 21.
p. 292. e
XI. 6, 7. p. 215. e
XIII. 1. p. 215. e
XIV. 23. S. 127. e
XV. 4. p. 172. m
XVI. 17. p. 215. m
1 Cor.
I. 29. p. 172. m
III. 12, 13. p. 29. e
& 102. b
IV. 7. p. 294. b
295. m
V. 2. p. 286.
X. 16. p. 168. m
XV. 10. p. 28. e
2 Cor.
IV. 7. p. 215. e
Gal.
II. 8. p. 215. e
VI. 14. p. 172. e
Eph.
I. 4. p. 218. b
& 488. m
11. p. 28. b
19. p. 216. b
II. 8. p. 216. m
20. p. 172. e
V. 27. p. 173. b
VI. 17. p. 173. b
Phil.
II. 8, 9. p. 299. b
13. p. 173. m
& 218. e
III. 17. p. 173. m
2 Theſſ.
II. 3, 4. p. 167. e
& 216. e
& 510. m
1 Tim.
II. 4. p. 157. e
& 161. b
& 173. m
III. 15. p. 173. e
2 Tim.
I. 3. p. 174. b
II. 19. p. 174. b
III. 17. p. 217. m
& 435. e
IV. 3. p. 497. m
Heb.
IX. 28. p. 217. m.
X. 10. p. 134. e
& 294. m
11, 12. p. 217. e
XI. 40. p. 32. m
Jam.
III. 2. p. 131. e
V. 14. 16. p. 95. m
& 260. b
1 Pet.
IV. 11. p. 96. b
1 Joh.
II. 2. p. 97. e
Revel.
I. 4. p. 176. m
III. 12. p. 176. m
VIII. 3. p. 176, 177.
IX. 2. 4. p. 177. m. e
XIII. 8. p. 139. e
XVII. 3. 6. p. 478. b
XIX. 10. 17. p. 177, 178.
XXII. 17. p. 211. 212.